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The mute swan family is pictured earlier this year. A Quinte West resident believes the female was shot with a small calibre rifle on Aug. 30, 2013 on a protected wetland pond just west of Trenton. The incident is being investigated by the Ministry of Natural Resources. The three signets have also died.

A horrific mystery is unfolding on a protected wetland in Quinte West.

Andy Axhorn wants to know who is killing mute swans that have nested on the pond adjacent to Second Dug Hill Road, just west of Trenton. Axhorn owns the property.

It started in August, 2012, when a male swan was believed to have been bludgeoned to death. Axhorn believes someone used a baseball bat to kill the bird.

Axhorn said the killing continued a week ago when a female swan was shot from the road. Axhorn says someone likely used a small calibre rifle in the Aug. 31 incident.

The swans were part of two different sets of breeding pairs. The pairs did produce two sets of signets, but all of them have died as well, likely from predators in the wild.

Mute swans are a protected wetland species.

Axhorn has reported the deaths to the Ministry of Natural Resources. He said the latest death is now being investigated.

In mid August, 2012, Axhorn discovered the remains of the male swan near his nest. Swans build two nests. A larger nest is occupied by the female, with the male partner nesting in a second, smaller nest.

Shortly after the death, Axhorn thought he had the inside track on what might happened to the male.

"I was at a local gas station. This young lad came up to me and said he had heard someone used a baseball bat to kill the male swan," said Axhorn. "He wasn't willing to give me a name. I guess it was pretty much hearsay. I didn't report it."

That breeding pair produced five signets. They died shortly after the male was killed.

"They might have been killed by a fox or a marten," said Axhorn.

Another breeding pair moved into the pond this year. They constructed nests about 40-metres from the road.

On Aug. 30, the female swan was found slumped over in the nest, her head dangling in the water.

"It's hard to believe some moron would stand on the road and shoot the poor swan," said Axhorn.

The male partner is still in the pond. It swims a safe distance from the road, using bulrushes as cover. "He won't go near the nests," said Axhorn.

Axhorn phoned Quinte West OPP the following day and followed that up with a call to the MNR.

Axhorn says he has chased people off the property before. He has also posted the property, but no trespassing signs have been torn down.

Axhorn doesn't have a problem with people stopping to look at the wildlife. Blue Herons, red-tailed Hawks and other bird species are a common site in the wetland.

Dozens of people, he said, would normally stop and look at the swans. Not now.

"It's really sad," said Axhorn. "If people have killed those swans, I think they are seriously troubled individuals. This is just killing for the sake of killing."

Axhorn said if there's anything he can do to help prosecute the case, he will.

"If someone is found guilty, I want them banned from Second Dug Hill road.